Orphans
by pwoutagonist
Summary: Eren and Levi are orphans. A strange occurrence brings them together.


**I am giving you guys something fluffy and cute. There are some sad feels but not too much. I hope you enjoy!**

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"Um, I'm Levi. Until a new family picks you up, you'll be in my care. Got it brat?" Green eyes looked up, sparkling a little in the sunlight. The older male sighed, picking the young boy up and in his arms. He was pretty tall for his age, but Levi didn't struggle with the extra weight. Small hands clung on the back of his shirt.

When he was first assigned to the brunette, he didn't realize what he'd gotten himself into. Babysitting orphans was his job, but Eren was different. He was mute. Ever since he watched his parents and younger sister burn to a crisp in a house fire, the boy hadn't talked since. For a few years he was in the hands of some crappy retreat where they tortured the poor kid, trying to get him to talk.

It was raining on the day they first met. Levi was on his way back from school, his bag hanging off of him in a lazy manner. The sun was hiding behind dark clouds and he didn't bring an umbrella that day. It would actually be convenient if he got sick; then he could skip school and have a valid excuse.

He had barely noticed the young kid running to him at full speed. Levi felt a weight on his leg and he looked down, grey eyes meeting bright green ones. The kid looked terrified, his eyes silently screaming for help. A few people in white coats came running after him, pleading the boy to come back. But the young teen held tightly onto the stranger.  
Levi could tell something was wrong with the people in white. They gave off a sick and dangerous aura, and he protected the young boy. He ended up calling the police, and those people had been part of an old organization who tried to force their opinions and beliefs on young children to brainwash him. He took the young teen to his work where he looked after the young boy every day.

In the senior's mind, it was pretty fucking ironic how the young kid clung to him, of all people. His hands and knuckles were covered in bandaged up, hiding the marks of countless fights. Even though he didn't want to, he ended up becoming the leader for a gang of delinquents, becoming feared across many different high schools. Despite just wanting to live out a normal high school life, breezing all the way through graduation, he was always involved in physical fights. He had sent countless kids to the hospital, and on one occasion paralyzed someone from the waist down. He was suspended for two months, but he was an extremely smart student. The school couldn't afford to expel someone with such high test scores.

And the way the young kid clung to him like an angel was surreal. He was the scum of the Earth. As much as he tried to ignore it, a part of him enjoyed beating useless dolts to a pulp. A thrilling adrenaline ran through his veins and a twisted smile was painted on his face. It not only scared those around him, but himself as well. His hands were stained with blood. No matter how hard he scrubbed away, the sins remained.

He didn't even think when he took Eren to the orphanage. It was part of his community service, and it was the only available spot. He hated kids; not because they were annoying and dirty. Levi felt like he shouldn't be tainting these young and innocent souls. His soul was damned to hell and back, burned black with regret and pain. How was he supposed to help these young children who knew nothing of the dangers in this word?

But that kid wouldn't let go of him. Eren loved Levi, only wanting to be around the senior. They played games, did schoolwork, and sipped tea together. The older male did all of the talking not really caring that the kid didn't want to speak. He didn't blame him. After all of the things that he'd been through, he could do whatever he wanted. Eren deserved that much.  
Months passed and the boy became more and more open, but only to the particular raven. It was strange that he had adapted a liking to the high school senior, and the ladies in charge of the orphanage watched in awe. Eren was not as bright as his age since he didn't attend school until recently so he always went to the older male for help, pointing at questions and showing a puzzled face.

"You need to add the 24 to -13. But when you add them, you should just subtract 13 from 24." Eren pouted. "Oi brat, stop making that face." A rough hand tousled his hair, which made the boy playfully hit the other. Levi smiled. How the kid was so happy despite his terrible past was beyond him, but watching those green eyes light up in excitement was truly a miracle at work. After a bit more explaining, the brunette was finally able to finish his school work.

Once it was done, the boy brought out a white piece of paper. Levi raised a brow as the brunette scurried around the room, looking for crayons. When he got the colors he wanted, Eren raced back to his spot next to the senior and started to draw stick figures. Levi watched before his eyes went wide. "Oi brat, where did you learn this?" Eren only gave him a smile and a kissy face, closing his eyes. A hand met the boy's lips, pushing his face away. The brunette frowned and continued to pout. Then he went back to drawing.

Levi slapped his hand to his own face, annoyed slightly. Whoever was teaching Eren these things was going to end up in a dumpster. The first drawing was of two stick figures kissing, with the names "Eren" and "Levi" written above them. The second one was of them underneath a rainbow with Eren's crude handwriting saying "I wanna marry Levi" in hot pink. When that idea was shot down by the older male, the brunette had one last drawing in mind. The two of them were sleeping in a bed at nighttime with smiles on their faces. Levi sighed. "Eren, who told you about this stuff?" A bright smile lit the boy's face up. "Eren, this stuff is for adults. We're not adults, Eren." The familiar pout was back on his face, but then his green eyes started to shine with something that wasn't happiness. For a moment, Levi panicked. "No, wait—please don't cry." But the young boy had no intention of stopping until he got what he wanted. "Fine, fine, I'll spend the night. Okay? No need to cry." As soon as the tears came, they disappeared almost instantly and he latched onto the other male's arms. Levi sighed.

He was in deep. Surely the brat knew how to get his way.

The orphanage ladies giggled and went away to finish their paperwork. Levi sighed lightly, leaning back in his chair. Was this his way of repaying his sins? Was saving Eren going to make all of his past disappear? Just then Eren started to pull the bandages off of his knuckles. He frowned and pointed at the scarred and bloody skin, eyes tearing up again. Levi shook his head. "It doesn't hurt." Leaning down, the brunette brought the hand to his lips, then let go of it. He clapped his hands three times before waving them in the air. A small chuckle left the older male's lips. "Was that supposed to make the pain go away?" Eren nodded vigorously, his gaze unwavering, showing he was serious. "It feels better now, Eren." Levi reached forward to pat the boy's head, and the brunette smiled brightly.

Smiles were apparently contagious because the older male caught himself wearing a strange expression on his face. He clicked his tongue before picking the boy up. "It's already ten o'clock, brat. Time for bed." As if on cue, the green-eyed boy yawned, resting his weary head on the older male's shoulder. Patting his back, Levi carried him upstairs to his bed. He grimaced at the size but figured he'd make do with it. If he left the boy alone surely he'd start crying; he didn't want that. Not minding the superhero sheet set, Levi pulled the blankets away and sat on the bed. Eren was close to falling asleep.

"You tired?" There was a small nod as a response. The older male chuckled, kicking off his shoes and shedding his dark jacket. He sat there, debating whether or not he should strip to his boxers. Levi didn't think the orphanage ladies would want to find a half-naked student in the bed. With a sigh, he left his jeans and shirt on, removing his belt and setting it on the ground next to his boots. Settling himself under the covers, he let the brunette curl up against his side. "Is this okay brat?" The boy nodded sleepily, a smile on his face as his hands clung onto the older male shirt. Levi let out a small sigh, letting his head rest on the pillow as he watched the green eyed boy sleep.

It was almost therapeutic. Watching the ten-year old sleep peacefully, he wondered if he was having a good dream. His long fingers raked lightly through the messy locks. He didn't think he was able to give happiness to anyone, but the brunette was proving him wrong each day. It was like they were family, seeking each other out for their own desires. Eren needed a savior, a rock, to help save him from his troubled past. Levi needed someone to save, someone who didn't care about his bloody hobby and someone who gave him love. Love was what they needed, even though it came in the strangest of ways.

It happened suddenly, the rain pounding hard as it did the day they first met. Eren was seventeen now, hands rolled into fists as he stared at the ground. His birthday was in two weeks. Two men in suits arrived to take Eren away from the orphanage. Levi had been arrested for sending six guys in the hospital. Being twenty five now, he had to abide by the laws as an adult. But the green-eyed teen wasn't having any of it. ahae silently stamped his foot on the ground, ready to punch anything that came close.

"Eren Jaeger, you need to be taken to safety. This man is dangerous." Tears streamed down the boy's cheeks and Levi felt a terrible pain in his chest. It was true; he was dangerous. But those six assholes who were teasing and beating up the kid because he was a mute were even more dangerous. He was just giving them what they deserved for touching the only person who meant anything to him. There just so happened to be a lazy cop standing there, knowing full well that Levi was protecting the kid. But the world is a cruel world, and now he was watching the two men come after his only family and he couldn't do anything about it. He kicked and banged his head against the doors and windows, but he could go to Eren.

The orphanage ladies were trying to make the men go away, but they were powerless as well. Eren was standing there alone, facing all of the hardships with no one to help him. When the men approached him again, he cried out. Levi's eyes went wide.

"Leave. Me. Alone!" It was the first time he heard his voice and the feeling in his chest wouldn't go away. The elder ladies were shocked as well. "Levi." The older male felt his heart stop for a second. "Is. Friend." His eyes were filled with tears and anger. "You…can't. Take him. Away." Just then blinding lights shined on them from an oncoming car. A sleek black sedan rolled up next to the curb and another man in a suit showed up. Levi stared incredulously.

He walked up to the two men and flashed a badge, which made them scurry away like frightened puppies. The blond haired male smiled at Eren and held out his hand. "You're Eren Jaeger, correct?" The brunette hesitated before nodding. "My name's Erwin Smith. I'm good friends with Levi over there." Green eyes lit up with hope. "Don't worry. Nobody is going anywhere." He smiled and patted the boy on the head before going over to the car where the dark haired male was sitting handcuffed.

Levi rubbed his wrists once they were inside. He let out a small sigh. "Erwin, I'm grateful that you came out here." The blonde laughed.

"Of course I came here, Levi. I know how much the boy means to you." Said boy had his head in the other's lap, holding his wrists with a sad expression on his face. Levi sighed and played with his brown hair. "His birthday is in two weeks, right?" The other male nodded. "Then why don't you take him to your home?" Dark grey eyes went wide. "A small foster case is a trivial matter for an FBI agent. I can make everything go along smoothly. He can be in your care for the rest of his life, if he wishes. He'll be a legal adult, so what he does is up to him."

Levi looked down at the brunette, who was content on trying to make the marks around his wrists go away. He patted his head. "Eren." Green eyes gazed up in excitement. "Ya wanna live with me, brat?" There was a moment of pause before he scurried away, keeping silent. He rummaged through the baskets of paper and crayons. He pulled out an old drawing that he made seven years ago. He showed it to the both of them with a smile. Levi blushed and Erwin laughed. "You can't be seri—" Eren leaned over and hit the other on the head, as if trying to scold him. Erwin laughed even more.

"It doesn't sound like a bad idea, Eren." The teen seemed to have made a new friend as he went over to the blond and they seemed to have a silent conversation. He stared at them with a dumbfounded expression. Did anyone else thing that this idea was just a silly child's dream? The orphanage seemed to milk up the auras of love radiating from the younger male. Levi sighed. He was in deep farther than he thought.

Another three years passed and Eren had been enrolled into college. He was living in a small apartment with Levi, who was working to pay for their rent. Luckily the brunette received a full scholarship to the university because the older male wouldn't have been able to afford rent and school. Eren had begun to speak again, but only when he needed to. He spoke to a few of his classmates who he had known for a long time. He didn't talk in class if he didn't have to, but he seemed to get along with everyone thought he didn't speak often.

However, the student was a different story at home. He talked almost constantly when he was with Levi, happily talking about his day or how much he loved the older male. And Levi couldn't bring it in himself to be annoyed or angry because he was just too damn cute. They hadn't been officially married, but Eren dragged him to the jewelry store so they could wear matching rings. And that was good enough for the both of them.

Their silver bands were proof of all of the years they spent together, of all the hardships they had gone through, all of the pain they experienced, and all of the hope they had for the future.

And their future looked extremely bright.


End file.
